Fastening and/or locking system

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a fastening and/or locking system for fastening and/or locking containers to a fastening device, in particular to a carrier such as a luggage rack, wherein at least one fastening element (securing element) is attached to the carrier or an accessory part for the carrier and engages in and is detachably locked to at least one receiving element ( 1 ), which is attached to a container and/or is connected to the container, wherein the receiving element ( 1 ) has a base plate ( 2 ) having a spring-loaded slide ( 3 ) that runs between the base plate and a cover plate ( 4 ), wherein the cover plate ( 4 ) has an upper elevation ( 11 ) and a lower elevation ( 10 ) [lit., “ 11 ”] and has a through-hole ( 12 ) from one side of the cover plate ( 4 ) to the other. The region for the spring-loaded slide ( 3 ) is formed behind the lower elevation ( 10 ) of the cover plate ( 4 ), and the space behind the upper elevation ( 11 ) has an undercut of said upper elevation, which is designed for the engagement of the protrusion or collar of a fastening element (securing element), wherein the spring-loaded slide ( 3 ) presses a fastening element (securing element), which can be inserted into the through-hole ( 12 ), into a recess (notch) ( 9 ) in the upper elevation ( 11 ) of the cover plate ( 4 ) and fastens said fastening element (securing element).

The present invention relates to a fastening and/or locking system for attaching a container to an attaching device, in particular to a carrier such as a luggage carrier, wherein at least one fastening element (securing element) is attached to the carrier or to an accessory part for the carrier, which fastening element engages into at least one receiving element which is attached to and/or is connected to a container, wherewith said fastening element (securing element) becomes releasably locked to said receiving element.

For carrying containers such as bags, cases, backpacks, or the like on a bicycle or generally on a carrier, various systems are known for connecting or attaching bags or other containers to the carrier, in particular to a luggage carrier. Particularly popular are systems in which the bag can be easily and simply attached to a luggage carrier, adjusted, and removed again.

Such an arrangement is disclosed in. e.g. DE 4041460A1, which discloses a bag having a rail disposed on its rear side, which rail is provided with hooks by means of which the bag can be hanged in the upper crossbar of a luggage carrier. Various forms of such rails may be provided, having [lit., “being in the form of”] catch hooks or pivot hooks which serve as locking means. Also these variants require very large, stable hooks, or hooks with large deflections.

A variant of such an attachment means for attaching containers to a luggage carrier is disclosed in DE 202006017966U1, wherein two hooks are fixedly mounted on the rear side of the bag, by means of which hooks the bag can be attached to the luggage carrier.

Specially designed carriers, particularly luggage carriers, as holding means to which containers may be attached, are known, which have fixedly disposed attachment locations for containers, such as bags. An example which might be mentioned is WO 2006/086948A1, which discloses a luggage carrier equipped with fastening elements for attaching a container.

The receiving points proposed for the luggage carrier to engage with corresponding elements on a bag may be designed as retrofit elements for mounting on an existing luggage carrier, so that one does not need to provide an entire luggage carrier as an accessory.

In the known systems, the bag or other container is attached to a luggage carrier by means of at least one receiving point which is mounted on the bag and is brought into engagement with at least one fastening point on a carrier (e.g. a luggage carrier). The embodiments of receiving points or elements on the bags comprise hooks mounted or applied to the rear side of the bag which can be engaged with elements on the luggage carrier. Also known are rails which are mounted on the rear side of the bag and have at least one hook mechanism by which the bag is attached to at least one fastening element on the luggage carrier.

A drawback (inconvenience) with these arrangements relates to handling, wherewith with many of the fastening processes for attaching a container to a carrier it is necessary to precisely align the bag or other container over a plurality of locations when it is being attached (hanged), so that when the bag or other container is lowered one must simultaneously engage the receiving locations on the bag or other container with fastening locations on the carrier in order for the locking to properly occur. This tends to be difficult for many users, particularly if the bag or other container is full and is especially heavy, wherewith it is difficult to hold the load in a precise position.

A further drawback of known fastening systems for applying and attaching a container to a carrier is difficulty in the manipulations involved in removing the bag or other container from the carrier, because in addition to lifting the bag one must simultaneously actuate an unlocking element, which actuation itself may often require both hands.

Accordingly, the object of the invention is to devise a holding device for attaching a container to a carrier (support), particularly for attaching a backpack to a bicycle or luggage carrier, which avoids the abovementioned drawbacks. In particular, the solution should admit of a bag which is smooth and flat on its rear side, and which is easy to handle, particularly as regards attaching the bag or other container to a luggage carrier (“hanging” the bag or other container on a luggage carrier) and removing it.

This object is achieved with the features according to the predicate of claim 1. Advantageous refinements and variant embodiments of the invention are set forth in the additional claims.

According to the invention, a system is proposed for fastening and/or locking containers to a fastening device, in particular to a carrier such as a luggage rack, wherein at least one fastening element (securing element) is attached to the carrier or to an accessory part for the carrier and engages in and is detachably locked to at least one receiving element, which is attached to a container and/or is connected to the container; wherein the receiving element has a base plate having a movable spring-loaded slide that runs between the base plate and a cover plate, wherein the cover plate has “elevations” and/or undercuts, and has a through-hole (throughgoing opening) from one side of the cover plate to the other, wherein the region for the spring-loaded slide is formed behind one of the “elevations”, and the space behind the other “elevation” has an undercut of said other “elevation”, which is designed for the engagement of the protrusion or collar of a fastening element (securing element), wherein the spring-loaded slide presses a fastening element (securing element), which can be inserted into the through-hole, into a recess (notch) in the [sic] elevation of the cover plate and fastens said fastening element (securing element).

A mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element), which is formed on a carrier or is fixedly attached to or reversibly fastened to such a carrier, can be brought into contact with the at least one receiving element associated with the bag or container by pushing the receiving element onto (“into”) the fastening element (securing element). The fastening element (securing element) is introduced into the opening, which has at least one recess (notch), with the “elevations” at this location being open toward the rear and/or having an undercut. The mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element) thus engages, by means of its part with enlarged cross-section, behind these “elevations”, and creates a connection between the receiving element on the bag or container and the fastening element (securing element) on the carrier.

In the cover plate of the receiving device, a recess (notch) is formed in a region into which the spring-loaded slide urges (“guides”) the mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element) when said fastening element is pushed inward, which fastening element slides into [said recess] and becomes fastened, due to the weight of the bag. The configuration of the recess is preferably curved, in a manner which [is compatible with] the movement of the bag in a lateral swinging movement.

In addition to the weight of the bag, with which

the lower receiving element of the bag is held on the preferably mushroom shaped holding point, and

the upper receiving elements are held via their recesses (notches) on (“in”) the upper fastening elements (securing elements),

the spring-loaded slides in the respective upper receiving elements prevent the fastening elements (securing elements) (“fastening means”) from sliding out, springing out, or being released, from the receiving elements (“receiving means”) on the carrier. For this purpose, the spring-loaded slide preferably has a flat configuration on its upper edge [sic] which faces the upper cover plate of the receiving element, with the upper edge of the slide still form-interlockingly engaging and fixing the enlarged circumference of a mushroom shaped fastening means (securing means).

The spring-loaded slide which is movable in guide means between the base plate and the cover plate is provided with springs which urge the slide against engagement points on and/or above the base plate and/or cover plate, resulting in locking of the fastening means (securing means) to the receiving element, e.g. on a luggage carrier.

The base plate of the receiving element is preferably fixedly attached to the body of a bag or other container, by welding and/or adhesive bonding; or is securely reversibly attached to same. The cover plate with the described functional elements is reversibly mounted on and/or attached to the base plate (so as to be replaceable) or is fixedly attached to the base plate; the means of mounting or attaching comprising screws, rivets, clips, plugs, adhesive bonding means, and/or welding means.

According to a preferred embodiment of a fastening and/or locking system employing the inventive receiving elements, a bag is provided with a lower guiding element and two upper fastening and/or locking elements (receiving elements), with the lower element being configured as a guiding element, e.g. having an indentation (slot), and preferably with an undercut, for receiving a mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element).

A bag and/or other container so equipped may first be pushed, via its lower receiving element configured as a guiding element, onto (“into”) a fastening element (securing element) disposed on, e.g., a luggage carrier, wherewith an immediate effect of this is to relieve the user of the weight of the bag. In this position, the bag may be pushed against the luggage carrier with relatively low force, and by lateral swinging of the bag the upper fastening and/or locking elements will also be brought into engagement with the fastening means (securing means) on the luggage carrier. In this process, the fastening means (securing means) glide into the throughgoing opening (“through-hole”) in the cover plate along the curved upper edge until they reach a recess (notch) in the upper “elevation” of the cover plate, and they are held there against the weight of the bag. As a result of the enlarged diameter of the preferably mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element), said fastening element engages behind the “elevations” of the cover plate and secures the bag against falling out. The spring-loaded slide also contributes to preventing the bag from springing out, falling out, or being released, from this position.

When eventually the bag is lifted, the spring-loaded slide is pressed laterally and/or downward, and allows the enlarged diameter fastening means (securing means) [(i.e. the enlarged-diameter part of the fastening means (securing means)] to be withdrawn from its position behind the undercut of the upper region of the cover plate, and thereby to be released. Then the bag can easily be removed, by forward tilting with application of only a low force.

The invention will be described in more detail hereinbelow by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a bag bearing a fastening and/or locking system, in a symbolic depiction;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the structure and manner of assembly of a fastening and/or locking element;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a fastening and/or locking element;

FIG. 4 is a front view of a guiding element; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the course of movement when a bag with the fastening and/or locking system is mounted (“hung”).

FIG. 1 illustrates a fastening and/or locking system for releasably attaching a bag 14 or other container, to a support, e.g. a luggage carrier on a vehicle. The symbolically illustrated bag 14 in this embodiment has two fastening and/or locking elements (or receiving elements) 1 and a lower guiding element 15. Preferably, the illustrated receiving elements and the guiding element are each comprised of a base body 2 and at least one cover plate 4, 17. The base body (base plate) 2 is preferably fixedly connected to the bag or container 14, preferably by water-tight means, e.g. welding or adhesive bonding. Preferably the base body extends slightly into the interior of the bag and/or container, in order to provide a maximally planar rear side of the bag or container. The fastening and/or locking means is provided with a cover plate 4 which has upper 11 and lower 10 hollowed out, raised partial regions (to be referred to as “elevations”), behind which a spring-loaded slide 3 is disposed. According to the representation in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slide 3 has a head 13 which projects into an opening 12 of the cover plate between the upper and lower partial “elevations”. The two “elevations” 10, 11 have undercuts, into which the larger diameter of a mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element) engages when it is inserted, whereas the middle member of said mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element), which member has a smaller diameter, enters the opening 12 between the “elevations” 10, 11 and acts against the spring-loaded slide.

Upon further insertion, against [sic] the spring force of the slide, this [sic] is pushed downward, and the middle member of a [sic] mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element) presses against the lower edge of the upper “elevation” 11. Along and preferably in the middle of this edge, a recess (notch) 9 is provided in the upper region I 1 (upper “elevation”) of the cover plate, into Which recess the middle member of the mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element) is passed and becomes locked there, in the course of the swinging-in of the bag, guided by the force exerted by the spring-loaded slide 3 and conditioned by the weight of the bag and/or container. In this process, the larger diameter of the [“a”] mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element) becomes held behind the wall of the upper region 11 (upper “elevation”) as well as behind the surface of the upper region of the slide, thereby becoming secured against forward movement.

According to a preferred embodiment, the recess 9 in the upper region 11 (the upper “elevation”) of the cover plate is not evenly shaped but is designed with a preferred direction. For the two cover plates of a right and a left fastening and/or locking means, in addition these recesses are directed in different preferred directions. This also provides an effective means of preventing accidental release of the bag while attached to the luggage carrier, since at least one of the receiving elements will always have a recess 9 which particularly effectively blocks release of the bag by horizontal swinging.

For deliberate removal of the bag from a luggage carrier, the bag is lifted upward, wherewith first the middle member of the mushroom shaped fastening element (securing element) moves out of [i.e. is freed from] the recess 9, and the bag can be swung out laterally, and said bag can be removed by upward movement of the lower receiving means [(lower guiding element)] 15 from the lower fastening element (securing element), along the slot 16.

FIG. 5 shows, by way of example, the sequence of movements of the upper receiving points during the attachment and/or removal of the bag and/or container. Whereas the distance A between the receiving points remains the same in any position, the displacements [lit., “mutual displacements”] of the receiving points in the course of the movements during the attachment and/or removal of the bag and/or container are not the same.

Following the above description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be made therein by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 

1.-9. (canceled)
 10. A releasable fastening system, for releasable fastening between a supporting device and a supported device, comprising: at least one receiving element attached to said supported device and at least one fastening element attached to said supporting device; said receiving element, further comprising: a base plate having a back surface and front surface supporting a cover plate thereon; a spring-loaded slide member slidably retained between said base plate and said cover plate; at least a first and a second elevated portion on said cover plate projecting away from said front surface of said base plate and defining a throughgoing channel therebetween; said first and said second elevated portions extending from a proximate side to a distal side of said base plate; a receiving region bounded under said first elevated portion above said front surface of said base plate shaped to slidably receive said spring-loaded slide member; an undercut on said second elevated portion proximate said throughgoing channel and partially projecting over said throughgoing channel; said undercut of said second elevated portion shaped to engage a protrusion extending from said fastening element; a recess on said undercut on said second elevated portion proximate said throughgoing channel shaped to receive said protrusion extending from said fastening element; and said spring-loaded urging said protrusion of said fastening element into said undercut and said recess during a use therewith.
 11. The releasable fastening system, according to claim 10, wherein: said recess on said undercut having an arcuate shape defining a relatively small concave radius curve; said second elevated portion and said undercut having a relatively larger convex radius curve; said protrusion extending from said fastening element having a complementary shape to fit within said recess and said larger radius curve; said a spring-loaded slide member having a relatively flat flat upper edge facing said undercut and a relatively convex radius curve on a projecting surface facing said recess; and a central portion of said projecting surface of said spring-loaded slide having a concave portion.
 12. The releasable fastening system, according to claim 11, further comprising: at least a first and a second engaging element projecting from said upper surface of said base plate and securing a respective first and a second spring element proximate said spring-loaded slide member; at least a first and a second guide element projecting from said upper surface of said base plate and respectively slidably received in a first and a second sliding channel in said spring-loaded slide member; whereby said spring-loaded slide member is slidably guided between a compressed position and an extended position during said use.
 13. The releasable fastening system, according to claim 12, further comprising: a guiding element positioned proximate said at least one receiving element attached to said supported device; a recess in said guiding element having a concave arcuate receiving part; and said concave receiving part projecting away from said at least one receiving element.
 14. The releasable fastening system, according to claim 13, further comprising: at least a second receiving element attached to said supported device; and said concave receiving part of said guiding element projecting away from said at least second receiving element. 